Cup and tray set



May 10, 1966 R. K. PARISH CUP AND TRAY SET Filed Feb. 23. 1965 II I I IIII/III! I I a IIl/(IlI/lIlllII/l nvmwrae ROBERT K. PARISH United StatesPatent 3,250,422 CUP AND TRAY SET Robert K. Parish, 3628 Dresher Road,Cornwells Heights, Pa. Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,556 2 Claims.(Cl. 220--23.83)

This invention relates to a cup and tray set. More particularly, thisinvention relates to a cup and tray set for use in feeding youngchildren or as a lap tray.

The feeding of young children has always presented certain difliculties,particuarly with respect to the spillage of liquids. Children who are ofan age where they eat solids and no longer take theirliquids from abottle often are difficult to feed because of their lack of coordinationand inattentiveness. As a result of their lack of coordination theyoften upset liquid containers in an attempt to feed themselves.Moreover, due to their inattentiveness they often knock over liquidcontainers. The present invention provides a means for aiding in thefeeding of young children whereby they may more easily help feedthemselves. Means are also provided for preventing the accidentalknocking over of liquid containers.

It therefore is a general object of this invention to provide a new andunobvious cup and tray set.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new andunobvious tray support for a liquid container.

It is still-another object of this invention to provide a new andunobvious means for guiding a container into a tray support therefor.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new andunobvious tray and cup set with barrier means thereon.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in thedrawings a form which is prescntlypreferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the cup and tray set inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the cup and tray set shown in FIGURE 1taken along the line 22.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view of the cup and tray set shown inFIGURE 1 taken along the line 33.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to that shown in FIGURE 3 showingthe cup disposed partially outside its support.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a perspective view of the cup andtray set in accordance with the present invention designated generallyas 10.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the cup and tray set includes a tray 12 and cup 14supported thereon. The tray 12 has a generally planar surface 16 whichis shown as being rectangular but may take other forms if desired. Thesurface 16 of tray 12 is surrounded on all sides by a barrier 18 whichextends vertically upwardly from the surface 16. In the preferredembodiment, the height of barrier 18 on three sides including sides 20,22 and 24 is substantially higher than the height of barrier 18 on thefourth side 26. Thus, the height of sides 20, 22 and 24 may be as muchas four to five'times as high as the height of side 26.

The barrier 18 provides a means whereby liquids that may be spilled areretained on the tray without running over onto the furniture or floor.Such spillage may occur when the support provided hereon is not used orwhen other containers such as a soup bowl is supported by the tray. Theside 26 defines the front of the tray, and it is made shorter so as tomake it easier for the child to reach the food and utensils while usingthe tray. If the 3,250,422 Patented May 10, 1966 ice side 26 of tray 12is elevated relative to the side 22, then the portions of barrier 18along sides 20, 22 and 24 will retain spilled liquids in amounts thatwould normally have run over the lower portion of barrier adjacent side26.

The surface 16 supports an upstanding annular wall 28 in the cornerthereof adjacent the sides 22 and 24 of barrier 18. As shown, theannular wall 28 is spaced away from barrier sides 22 and 25. The wall 28may be an integral part of the surface 16. It is the purpose of wall 28to prevent the cup14 from being tilted so as to spill liquids containedtherein. As shown, the cup 14 is cylindrical in shape as is the annularwall 28. The inner diameter of wall 28 will be slightly larger than theouter diameter of cup 14 adjacent its bottommost surface. This slightdifference, which may, for example, be one-sixteenth of an inch, permitsthe cup 14 to be freely inserted and removed from the boundaries definedby annular wall 28. The height of wall 28 is such that it limits thetilting of the cup 14 so that it cannot be tilted from a vertical to ahorizontal position while disposed within its boundaries.

The surface 16 of tray 12 also supports an upstanding conical projectionor guide 30. The guide 30 extends to a height which is substantiallygreater than the height of wall 28. In the preferred embodiment, theheight of guide 30 will be at least twice that of wall 28. The base orany other circular section taken through conical guide 30 will beconcentric with the annular wall 28. As shown, the diameter of the baseof guide 30 is substantially than the inner diameter of wall 28. Thus,in one embodiment of the present invention the base diameter of guide 30may he one inch while the inner diameter of wall 28 is 2% inches. Thisprovides an annular portion of surface 16 through supporting the bottomof cup 14.

The cup 14 includes a handle 32 and a hollow recess or bowl 34 forreceiving and retaining liquids. The bottom of cup 14 is provided with aconical recess 36 which is similar in shape to the conical guide 30 butof a slightly larger dimensions- This is best shown in FIG- URE 3. Theapexes of both conical guide 30 and conical recess 36 are rounded 011 tobe spherical in form. As thus rounded, the apex of guide 30 is betterable to guide the cup 14 into the boundaries of annular wall 28.

In guiding the cup 14 into the boundaries of wall 28, the guide 30cooperates with the conical recess 36 in the following manner. A youngchild will not ordinarily have sufiicient dexterity to quickly andeasily place the cup 14 in the boundaries of wall 28. However, theprovision of conical guide 30 will aid the child in inserting the cup.This is accomplished because the apex of conical guide 30 is relativelynarrow in comparison with the base of conical recess 36. Accordingly, itis quite simple for the child to get the cup over the conical guide 30so that it is received within the recess 36. Once this point is reached,the conical guide 38 will guide the cup 14 into the boundaries of theannular Wall 28. In FIGURE 4, the cup 14 is shown in a position whereinthe conical guide 30 is partially received within the recess 36 but thecup is generally at an angle with respect to the vertical axis of guide30. It will be noted that the apex of guide 30 is in contact with theside of conical recess 36. Accordingly, when the child lets go of thecup, the apex of conical guide 30 will slide along the side of conicalrecess 36 thereby directing the cup into the boundaries defined byannular wall 28. In other words, so long as the child is capable ofgetting the cup into a position wherein guide 30 is received withinrecess 36 the conical sections will serve to guide it into properposition within annular wall 28.

The tray 12 and cup 14 may be made of any one of several materials suchas plastic, metal, or ceramic. However, in a preferred embodiment thetray and cup are made of a molded plastic material.

Although the foregoing invention has been described with relation to achilds feeding tray, it will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art that it may be used as a lap tray for watching television or thelike.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A tray and cup set comprising a tray having a planar upper and lowersurface, an annular wall extending from said upper surface at a positionremote from the center of said tray, a substantially conical guideextending from said upper surface, the axis of said guide being normalto the plane of said tray, a circular section of said conical guidebeing concentric with said annular wall, the height of the conical guidebeing at least twice the height of said annular wall, the inner diameterof said annular Wall being greater than the base diameter of saidconical guide, and a cup adapted to be received between said conicalguide and said annular wall, said cup including a bottom Wall, saidconical guide and said annular wall positioned to cooperate together toguide said cup onto said tray, said bottom wall defining a substantiallyconical recess similar to the conical guide, the apices of said conicalguide and said conical recess being spherical curves, the

spherical radius of said conical guide apex being smaller than thespherical radius of said conical recess apex, the outer diameter of saidcup bottom wall being less than the inner diameter of said annular wall,the vertical height of said conical member being less than the verticalheight of said conical recess so that the bottom of said cup is firmlysupported by the upper planar surface of said tray, an inner diameter ofsaid annular Wall being small enough to engage the cup and limit tiltingduring placement of said cup over said conical guide.

2. A tray and cup set in accordance with claim 1 Wherein a barrier ismounted adjacentthe perimeter of said planar surface, a portion of saidbarrier having a height less than the remainder of said barrier.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,401 12/1937Leppke 220--23.83 3,122,257 2/ 1964 Soehrman 220-23.83

FOREIGN PATENTS 22,695 1900 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner.

1. A TRAY AND CUP SET COMPRISING A TRAY HAVING A PLANAR UPPER AND LOWERSURFACE, AN ANNULAR WALL EXTENDING FROM SAID UPPER SURFACE AT A POSITIONREMOTE FROM THE CENTER OF SAID TRAY, A SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL GUIDEEXTENDING FROM SAID UPPER SURFACE, THE AXIS OF SAID GUIDE BEING NORMALTO THE PLANE OF SAID TRAY, A CIRCULAR SECTION OF SAID CONICAL GUIDEBEING CONCENTRIC WITH SAID ANNULAR WALL, THE HEIGHT OF THE CONICAL GUIDEBEING AT LEAST TWICE THE HEIGHT OF SAID ANNULAR WALL, THE INNER DIAMETEROF SAID ANNULAR WALL BEING GREATER THAN THE BASE DIAMETER OF SAIDCONICAL GUIDE, AND A CUP ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID CONICALGUIDE AND SAID ANNULAR WALL, SAID CUP INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL, SAIDCONICAL GUIDE AND SAID ANNULAR WALL POSITIONED TO COOPERATE TOGETHER TOGUIDE SAID CUP ONTO SAID TRAY, SAID BOTTOM WALL DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLYCONICAL RECESS SIMILAR TO THE CONICAL GUIDE, THE APICES OF SAID CONICALGUIDE AND SAID CONICAL RECESS BEING SPHERICAL CURVES, THE SPHERICALRADIUS OF SAID CONICAL GUIDE APEX BEING SMALLER THAN THE SPHERICALRADIUS OF SAID CONICAL RECESS APEX, THE OUTER DIAMETER OF SAID CUPBOTTOM WALL BEING LESS THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID ANNULAR WALL, THEVERTICAL HEIGHT OF SAID CONICAL MEMBER BEING LESS THAN THE VERTICALHEIGHT OF SAID CONICAL RECESS SO THAT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CUP IS FIRMLYSUPPORTED BY THE UPPER PLANAR SURFACE OF SAID TRAY, AN INNER DIAMETER OFSAID ANNULAR WALL BEING SMALL ENOUGH TO ENGAGE THE CUP AND LIMIT TILTINGDURING PLACEMENT OF SAID CUP OVER SAID CONICAL GUIDE.